Creatures of Inclination
by Robyn Maddison
Summary: Sarah's been assigned an interesting school project. Unfortunately the research project involves a certain Labyrinth and its King. The unexpected prequel to 'Creatures of Habit'. OneShot


**Rating:** PG-13  
**Disclaimer:** I have this finger puppet that sorta looks like Didymus. That's about all I own in regards to _The Labyrinth_. I will return the characters in good condition when I'm done playing with them! I fully recognize they ain't mine!  
**Summary:** Sarah's been assigned an interesting school project. Unfortunately the research project involves a certain Labyrinth and its King. The unexpectedprequel to 'Creatures of Habit'. (OneShot)

**AN:** If you want continuation, please read another one of my oneshots, Creatures of Habit. It was written ages before this one. I attempted to writethis prequel awhile ago and it didn't work. I didn't even intend to write it this time! My mind isrude and has no courtesy - not letting me write this when I wanted, makign me write it when I wasn't supposed to... Oy.

* * *

**Creatures of Inclination**

Sarah stared at the book list, her face a study of emotions. She was resting her chin on one pyjama clad knee as she frowned at the sheet of paper from the dubious comfort of her computer desk chair.

It was her term project for her Origin of Myths class, and worth a fair percentage of her final grades. It wasn't the class that was the issue, she had done very well up to the present. What had her concerned was myth number 13 on the list; _The Labyrinth. _

Each student in the class was to choose one of the 30 myths the Prof. and TA's had picked out, and were to see if they could trace it back to its original form. They needed to provide the changes that the myths had undergone, as well as the original meaning and intent behind the formation of the chosen story.

"What's got you so worried lookin'?" The hoarse voice broke in on her dismayed reverie.

Sarah looked up quickly, her expression swiftly changing from weariness to glee. "Hoggle!" She smiled broadly at the aged dwarf. "How are you?" the ominous words on the page were temporarily forgotten.

"Oh, same ol' same ol." Hoggle grunted out, climbing to sit on Sarah's narrow dorm room bed, his otherworldliness standing out against the bright patchwork quilt she and Karen had made the summer before. "But what's more important, is how are _you_? You know as well as I do that I wouldn't be here if you weren't thinkin' 'bout something." He levelled a gaze at her.

Sarah smiled half-heartedly and waved the paper at him. "Of course you're right." She said, uncurling herself from the swivel chair and joining Hoggle on the bed, their backs resting against the wall. "I have to do a school project, and basically… Well one of the options of the project is the researching the origin of the 'fairytale', 'The Labyrinth'."

Hoggle looked at her, bushy brows raised in surprise. "The labyrinth as in _Jareth's _Labyrinth?!"

"Well, not really the actual maze and obstacle, but more so the story behind it. Why it's there, where it began, its purpose, anything about the story that has changed as it has been passed down in my world…" She sighed and rubbed a slender hand against her face, dark brows furrowing slightly once more.

"Well what's so bad about that?" Hoggle questioned a little curiously.

Sarah frowned and tapped the paper. "We have to read the book and a lot of the students have a…" she paused and her mouth quirked a bit "…_flair_ for the dramatic, combined with very little sense. I'm worried that if someone else picks this particular story, people will end up getting wished away to Ja- The Goblin King."

Hoggle ignored her verbal blunder and waited for her to continue.

"I just don't know whether _I_ should pick it or not. On the one hand it could be opening a whole can of worms that are better left closed." She sighed gustily once more and leaned her cheek on one slender hand, as she repositioned so she was sitting cross-legged on the bed.

The dwarf beside her nodded sagely. "And on the other you feel like you have a responsibility to keep harmful knowledge from others by picking it yourself."

"Exactly." Her green eyes met her old friend's soberly. "What should I do?"

Thick and clumsy hands picked at the patchwork quilt as he sat in thought, brows furrowed under a leather cap. "I dunno Sarah. I think you should do whatever feels the best to you."

Sarah grinned wryly and elbowed him affectionately. "Fence-sitter."

"Well I… Never! I ain't a fence sitter!! I ain't!" Hoggle protested hotly.

The college student laughed. "Right, right Mr. 'If-I-was-you-I-wouldn't-pick-_either_.'"

The dwarf had the good grace to blush. "Fine, see if I help you out with your school at all after this! Besides, you know as well as I do that I was telling the truth that time. It was a good clue." He humphed and crossed his arms, looking steadily away from her.

Sarah smiled at the disgruntled figure of her friend before stretching out arms to hug him. "I'm sorry Hoggle. It _was_ good advice. Both way back then, and now, You're wise and all knowing and more people should listen to your abundant wisdom."

A grin threatened at the corners of Hoggle's mouth, and Sarah knew all was forgotten and forgiven. "Damn right they should!" he announced before wriggling his short frame off the bed. "Sarah, let me know what you decide. But right now, I's gotta get back to the gates, the Fairies were carrying out a two fronted attack on my assistant last time I saw!"

Sarah threw her head back and laughed. Her life was so strange, and she loved it. "Bye Hoggle! And thank you!" She waved as he walked through the tall mirror that was hung on her closet doors.

* * *

The throne room was silent as the dwarf peered in through a darkened archway.

"Hogwarts!" The Goblin Kings voice rang out imperiously. "I know you've returned. I'm waiting for your report." He trailed off ominously and Hoggle gulped and rushed into the room.

"Yer majesty." He mumbled quickly as he fell to one knee before the monarch.

"Oh, get up. You don't mean it anyways." Hoggle stood up and regarded his king warily. He was obviously tired for such formality to be discarded so summarily! Purple was smudged under his eyes and it almost seemed as if his normally bright and free flying hair was a bit limp; a bit more bound by the laws of gravity that day. It made Hoggle uneasy to see Jareth in such a state of weariness.

"Well?" the dwarf's contemplation was abruptly shattered by the impatient voice of the Goblin King.

"Er. Yes. Sarah. Right. She's doin' fine. Still at school, still looks fine." Hoggle fiddled with his jewelry pouch anxiously.

The man on the throne narrowed his eyes in displeasure at the dwarf's prevaricating. Only then did the dwarf get to the point and continue briefing the king on Sarah's current state of affairs. Including a tiny little matter about a school project concerning Jareth's realm.

* * *

Goblins all stopped and huddled closer together in an amazing show of solidarity at the roar of anger that echoed through the castle before escaping into the goblin city, all grateful that _they_ weren't the ones having an audience with the king.

* * *

Sarah pulled her damp hair up and pinned it up on her head with a deft twist of a long pencil. She settled in for a night of surfing through the school's online cache of journals for any articles pertaining to the erosion and transformations of folklore as they were passed down through generations.

She was comfy in her desk chair, a scented candle was lit on the cluttered bookshelf above her computer, and the soft lighting of lamps filled the warm dorm room. Her studying sweats were donned and she was wearing a soft long sleeved waffle-weave shirt over a thin tank top as she settled in for a long Friday night of study as rain pounded outside her narrow window.

A few hours later a sudden crash of thunder made her jolt suddenly, a surge of adrenaline racing through her body. With a deep sigh and a few deliberately deep breaths, she opened her eyes just in time to see the candle on her shelf blow out, right before the lamps flickered and died.

She stuffed a now shaking hand into her mouth to prevent herself from screaming her lungs out. She'd always had an uncontrollable aversion (alright, _fear_) to dark rooms after her brief stint in the oubliette. The utter darkness that had filled that dank hole had consumed her dreams for weeks after the trial and she'd been unable to handle the dark ever since.

And now, with the play book of the Labyrinth opened on the desk before her, and some very darkly disturbing earlier versions of the story saved on her hard drive, she found herself quaking with fear and terrible anticipation.

"Please oh please oh please be a power outage." She murmured to herself as she drew her trembling hand away from her mouth. Slowly she stood up to make her way to the door.

She turned around into something hard and warm. Green eyes flew upwards to where a decidedly hostile expression graced the fair features of the Goblin King.

A piercing shriek let forth from her mouth as she quickly attempted to scramble away from his imposing figure.

Jareth snapped into movement at the scream, stepping forward and wrapping one hand over her mouth and grabbing her forcefully, pulling Sarah closer to him.

"Quiet, you stupid girl!" He bit out harshly. Pounding feet echoed down the hallways outside Sarah's door, coming to see what the matter was. Sarah's green eyes flew to the door in a panic and she began to struggle against Jareth's hold as the knob turned frantically, now mysteriously locked.

"Bugger." Came the soft oath from the Goblin King and with a violent twist of magic they were someplace else entirely.

The RA's efforts to get into Sarah's dorm room doubled as the sound of a crash and shattering glass were heard, and she broke through the thin door moments later. Only to find the computer screen flickering with the bright blue error screen of death. The room was a mess from the wind that had swept through brutally after the use of magic in such a small environment.

There was no sign of Sarah. The RA fumbled for a phone.

* * *

Sarah had stilled as they'd moved through space. But as soon as she felt solid ground beneath her feet she increased her resistance to the enclosing arms. With a muffled cry she bit at the hand that covered her mouth and began to bring her knee up in a classic self-defense move.

The goblin king whirled her about quickly, one hand forcing her jaw shut, the other holding her arms tightly; her back was pressed up securely against his armour clad body.

Jareth bent and pressed his mouth near her ear, his voice a hot whisper. "You will desist this foolish struggling immediately dear Sarah, or your friends will be thrown into the deepest, darkest oubliette I know of. Forever."

Sarah paused to weigh the truth behind his threat and came, correctly, to the decision that he was not kidding. She stilled and tersely nodded her head.

His hands were gone and she quickly stepped away and spun around to face him, idly rubbing one hand on her jaw where she was sure she would be bruising. Numbly she realized it was raining and they were on top of a building, still on campus grounds. Not Underground then, her mind noted gratefully.

"Why are you here?" She demanded of the still Goblin King who was watching her with hooded eyes. She deliberately forced herself to meet his frigid gaze and to stand up straight. I will not be threatened by a man in _tights_, I will _not_! She reminded herself.

Not a word of apology for her rough treatment had crossed his thinned lips, and she doubted she would hear one. So she waited, trying desperately not to fidget nervously as he raked his gaze over her.

He sneered as he took in the shapeless, and now thoroughly drenched, sweats and baggy shirt. But she was still as beautiful as ever with such defiance burning in her eyes, such self-righteous indignation, such passion.

Meanwhile his evaluating look made Sarah acutely aware of the burgeoning pimple on her forehead and her state of dress. She was shocked at the insignificant details that her mind was dwelling on.

But the Goblin King had decided quickly that his plans would need slight altering. He would not let this mortal escape him so easily this time. He'd forgotten the sheer force fo her spirit – her absence had dulled his memory of her, the sight and feel of her had brought that fascination back full force. And then some, he realized as he took in the womanly curves barely showing through the shapeless clothes.

"You are meddling in things not meant to be meddled in by human girls who think they know everything." He bit out as he began stalking in predatory circles around her. "Do you know of what I speak?"

Oh, did she ever. "Yes." She bit out quickly. "I'm studying the Labyrinth for school and this, for some reason," she glared at him and finished petulantly, "has got you all defensive or something."

Jareth stopped. "Oh no. I couldn't have cared less if you had been 'just studying' it. You, precious Sarah," he hissed into her ear and a shiver thrummed down her spine "made a choice that prevented other people from _learning_ of the Labyrinth."

The dark haired girl frowned slightly, confused.

"You study folklore, so this should be simple. Tell me, exactly how are stories like the one you read when you were girl spread about if no one gets a chance to read them?" He bit out the last bit sharply and she flinched as the implications of his words dawned on her and he smiled grimly.

"You condemn your friends and all the inhabitants of the Labyrinth to an earlier death by not allowing for other people to make the choice to believe!

"You – "

"I'm sorry." She said sincerely. Tears were mixing with rain on her cheeks and she sniffled in effort to maintain her dignity. "I didn't think of it like that, and I should have."

Jareth stopped for a moment, utterly shocked by the unexpected admission of guilt, the sincerity of her apology clear in her eyes. He softened momentarily before recovering his equilibrium, his angry rant dying in his throat.

He'd come intending to punish her for her meddling behaviour; he'd changed his mind and decided to have her for his own. And now with her mature acceptance of responsibility even, _especially_, after his rough treatment, he found himself captivated by the woman in front of him.

And his desire for her doubled. He would bring her back to Labyrinth and she would be his. His anger fell away from him and his features softened marginally.

An attempt to muffle a sniffle brought his attention back to woman in front of him and with a brief sigh of impatience he approached her.

"Sarah," he said gently to the now distressed, bruised, frightened and… Ah, no more need to add to the list, he told himself. "You're soaking. It's time to take you back, where we will sit down…" he paused and frowned briefly "and have a talk."

Sarah was unsure if she liked those words, but she nodded and bravely pretended she wasn't crying while Jareth pretended not to notice. He extended a gloved hand to her and raised his winged brows challengingly, daring her to come near him once more.

Her chin rose quickly, and, tears forgotten at his provocation, she grabbed his hand forcefully as they were whisked into her dorm room.

And it was filled with people.

Sarah stood there gaping like a fish, her mind discarding all possible explanations to her sudden disappearance and even more sudden reappearance. Reappearance with a Goblin King in tow, she amended.

The gathered students were more agape than Sarah, never having seen a man like the Goblin King, and never having witnessed Magic.

Jareth waved a hand regally and the room emptied of students slowly. They'd all quickly remembered somewhere they needed to be, and forgotten the strange happenings revolving around Sarah.

Another wave and her room was restored to rights and he and Sarah were dry. Only then did he realize that Sarah was still clinging to his hand. He glanced down and smirked at the appendage. Sarah scowled and drew her slim paw away, retreating to the other end of the room.

"Don't think that these last five minutes of niceness will make up for the previous ten minutes of brutality." She narrowed green eyes at him and crossed her arms, unconsciously mimicking his stance. "I'll concede that I didn't think through my decision to choose the Labyrinth legend as my project. But that doesn't mean your cruelty was warranted."

The Goblin King simply inclined his head in her direction, his face impassive. Whether he was acknowledging her statement, or acknowledging her _right_ to make such a statement, she did not know. But she wasn't prepared to fight over it.

"So what do we need to talk about still?" She questioned grumpily.

The Goblin King smiled ferally. "Oh lots of things." He began walking around her room, inspecting her shelves of books and posters. The one thing he didn't do was elaborate.

Sarah twitched as he neared the pictures on her shelves. She flinched as one gloved hand picked up a dark wooden frame and brought it close to his face as he inspected the contents.

"Young Toby is growing up." He said, shooting a smirk at Sarah. She frowned and stepped forward to tug the photograph gently out of his hands and replace it on the shelf. The Goblin King smirked at her. "And who was that young man _wrapped _around you that bore a striking resemblance to me?"

Sarah flushed defensively and refused to answer, simply tilting her chin in defiance. Jareth simply grinned, his eyes darkening gleefully at getting such a pretty rise out of her.

He continued his idle perusal of her belongings. "So tell me Sarah, what have you learned about the Labyrinth so far as you worked on this 'school project'?"

Sarah thought she could detect a studied air of nonchalance as he posed the question to her, still inspecting the displayed contents of her room. She bit her lip and unconsciously sat on the bed as her mind sprang to the previous, puzzling versions of the story that had plagued her earlier that night. She launched into her information.

"There are two things that remain constant throughout the history of the Labyrinth. Firstly, there is always a great obstacle that a person has to overcome. It wasn't always a maze or Labyrinth, and from I can tell, the Labyrinth developed fairly soon after Oral tradition was passed over in favour of written."

Jareth nodded quickly, attempting to halt her from elaborating too much, he recognized the look of an excited scholar when he saw one. "And the second common theme?" He queried quickly.

Sarah was brought out of her contemplative haze quickly, sharp green eyes pinning his gaze. "You." She stated bluntly. "The Goblin King, the master of the labyrinth. Some incarnation of you is always in it."

He smiled ferociously. "It is, after all, _my_ Labyrinth."

Sarah blinked. "And of course, there is always someone traversing the labyrinth or acting as your opposition."

Jareth stiffened a little. "Is there?" he intoned softly. "And tell me, is there anything about those character's travels through the Labyrinth that differ greatly from yours?"

Sarah blanched as she quite suddenly recalled several accounts – the knowledge previously lost in her mind. And she really, really hadn't like his tone just then. She looked up at the figure of Jareth looming over her, and she didn't notice the sly expression on his ethereal features. "You know… I don't think I want to finish this discussion if you're going to get all intense and loom-y…"

She broke off at his hardening face and scooted back towards the wall. Brokenly she whispered out the answer, closing her eyes "They had to travel out of the Labyrinth once they reached the centre…"

He leaned down. "And I bet you feel like you're always forgetting to do something." His smooth tones whispered into her ear. She choked on a sob and fought against the innate knowledge that he was right – she had lost! She'd never made it out again!

She was lost in a haze of horror at her foolishness. Even Hoggle had told her! And she'd ignored that like she'd ignored so much of his advice. Her mind fogged up and heard him speak as if through a thick blanket. She was floating, she was confused, she didn't understand what had happened, but she heard him. "You must say the words; say I have power over you, _dear_ Sarah."

Her eyes flashed in defiance once before she was overcome by the numb state into which she'd fallen. She mumbled the words into her chest. "You have power over me…"

Jareth's face was gleeful. "Time to go home."

The words exited her mouth and she was thinking clearly once more. She clapped hands to her mouth in horror. "You tricked me!" She whispered, betrayal filling her face.

Hurt bloomed large in her eyes, before they became hard and veiled. Jareth flinched with a surge of guilt before smiling broadly to cover his admission of feeling. "Of course I did, Sarah. You wouldn't have come back to me otherwise."

He reached out with gloved hands around her waist and pulled her to her feet. With a dizzying whirl of magic that prickled through the air they were within the hedge portion of the sprawling maze. A night sky was dark overhead, but the stars were bright and near – at odds with the sudden melancholy that had overcome Sarah.

She wrenched out of Jareth's grasp once more. No tears glistened in her eyes, but hurt still lingered behind the fierce anger. And valiantly she fought down the sudden singing in her soul that told her she was home; that the Underground was where she belonged.

Jareth watched her for moment. "Sarah, tonight you have a choice. You can either agree to marry me," he grinned wryly while her mouth dropped open in an 'o' of surprise and changed quickly to a venomous scowl, "or I can toss you into the Labyrinth for a while."

She snapped her mouth shut. "I'll take my chances with the Labyrinth, thanks." She stood up straight.

"I rather thought you might." He buried his disappointment and with a deft twist of his wrist a crystal blossomed. The Goblin King tossed the globe straight at Sarah with unerring accuracy and she flinched as it dissolved around her, too slow to dodge it.

"Before I send you off, you'll need your orders." He narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm allowing you to live as a denizen of the Labyrinth, which is a role that comes with some few responsibilities. Listen well.

"You are to be a distraction to anyone who wanders through the part of the Labyrinth that will be designated as your jurisdiction, momentarily.

"You are to give anyone who asks answers. Incorrect answers. Never, I repeat, _never_" His eyes flashed sternly, "actually help someone, or you'll find yourself brought back to the castle and put at my mercy once more. And have fun figuring out what that crystal did to you." Jareth laughed and smiled broadly, pointed teeth gleaming, and she cringed at what she perceived as malicious glee.

He stepped closer to her and one hand gently cupped her still tender jaw and he was suddenly serious once more, his tone gentle. "You belong here Sarah, and I think you know it. We have all the time in the world to get to know each other. I will come tomorrow."

Sarah pulled herself out of his grasp. "Goodbye Jareth." She stepped back from his warm figure. Hating him for taking her away from everything she loved, hating herself for feeling like she'd come home.

Jareth began to say something seriously, but his eyes gleamed with a sudden capricious mirth and a smile threatened the corners of his mouth. "For what it's worth, I am sorry that you never got to finish your school project!"

* * *

**AN2:** I do love reviews. Please do not review asking for more - the 'more' is already posted in the form of another oneshot: 'Creatures of Habit'. If you're getting sick of me telling you this, please, review and tell me so!


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